Overview of Eligibility Requirements for a Letter of Permission

A letter of permission may be issued to a suitable person who is not a certificate
holder and whose services the Director of Certification considers are required for
a specified period of time. The maximum validity period for a letter of permission
is one school year. To apply for a letter of permission, you must be recommended
by a Superintendent of Schools or an Independent School Authority who wishes to
employ you for a specific position.

It is important that your prospective employer review the following information before
recommending you for a letter of permission.

The employer must include with the application all postings as evidence that there
has been an extensive search for a qualified individual. Letters of permission are
appropriate only where a qualified certified candidate cannot be found. The position
posting should be advertised for a minimum of two weeks. Placing an uncertified
person in a teaching position should be considered a temporary placement and not
a long-term solution. Employers must make every effort to seek a certified teacher
to fill the position.

In cases where a secondary school position involves teaching in more than one subject
area, the employer should post the subject assignments separately. This provides
greater access to certificate holders. Separate postings for each subject may result
in finding a qualified teacher for at least a portion of the position, thus requiring
a letter of permission for a smaller assignment.

In cases where a certified teacher has applied for the position, the employer must
provide to the Teacher Regulation Branch a comprehensive rationale for not assigning
the teacher to the position.

Employers should keep in mind that they may only employ teachers who hold a valid
Ministry of Education teaching certificate or Letter of Permission. Employers should
further note that employment of an uncertified person for more than 20 days would
be in contravention of Section 19 of the School Act or section 3 and 6 of
the Schedule of the Independent School Act. These sections state that a board
or authority may employ an uncertified person for 20 or fewer days where a certified
teacher cannot be found.